BOTULISM IN CATTLE 



81 



followed by death on the ninth or tenth day. Results of immun- 

 ologic tests in guinea-pigs as in table 2 illustrate the specific 

 relation of the B. hotulinus strain from the corn silage sample 

 126 to type B variety (see fig. 4) . One to two cubic centimeters 

 of antitoxic serum of the desired potency has repeatedly proven 

 efficacious against 100 minimum lethal toxic units given sepa- 

 rately by the mouth at the time or a few hours after the anti- 



TABLE 2 



serum, while 0.001 cc. of antitoxin of sufficient strength per 

 gram weight suffices to protect a guinea-pig against 100 mini- 

 mum lethal doses of toxin given by the mouth. Guinea-pigs 

 varying in weight from 200 to 800 grams, owing to shortage of 

 pigs of uniform weight, have been employed to note the specific 

 relations of the toxin to the antitoxin of types A and B. In 

 table 2 the relation of strain 126 to type B immune serum is 

 tabulated. 



SERUM TREATMENT OF CATTLE 



The preliminary bacteriologic and immunologic studies herein 

 enumerated suggested that the losses in cattle consuming the 

 silage was probably associated with B. hotulinus intoxication. 

 This conclusion was practically established in the laboratory 

 when it was learned that several tons of the silage in question 

 were to be condemned and discarded as unfit for feeding pur- 

 poses. In view of the preliminary findings the advisability of 

 recommending that this silage be fed to the cattle seemed logical 

 to us, providing the animals in the herd might first be injected 

 with hotulinus antitoxin. It was believed that the practical 

 value of specific antitoxic serum in cattle for the prevention of 

 botulism might be observed and possibly definitely demon- 



